Chains of the Pirate Queen

///Access File: 10-15-802M.41///

We put into Port Wander for repairs to the Anvil, which proved to be more costly than I had anticipated. My Dynasty is not as wealthy as some due to my father’s actions but I do manage a steady stream of income over and above my expenses. I find in this case the reverse has become true, or so my House Factors tell me. I will have to find additional income sources soon lest War bleed my family dry. I thought to add a Calculance Array to my holdings to aid in this goal, but to add insult to injury I was outbid by an agent from House Winterscale at the 11th Hour. Fine fellow, Captain Winterscale, but his agents are of the “by any means” sort. I’d respect that if “any means” didn’t mean me.

Not long after we returned from my fruitless excursion to the auction house, I received a message from Bob, the message is as follows:

roguerio stole something called the paradox engine it is difficult to explain to a layman but it is very dangerous in the wrong hands misuse could create singularities or worse your people consider us heretics because you consider everyone heretics an inquisitor who searches anyone will eventually find something that he or she finds heretical your society is an enemy of progress physicians do not normally carry weapons but some may have adapted to your violent society our technology is often implanted into out own bodies very small and hard to detect with your sensors those who are augmented also undergo a self destruct sequence to make sure our tech does no fall into the possession of savages no offense intended

Paradox Engine, eh? When I get some time I shall have to have the Hammer’s cogitor’s search for any record of such a thing in the ship’s archives. Perhaps one of my ancestor’s notated something about it’s existence. I have informed the command crew to be aware of any mention of this device at our weekly debriefing. Rojer who is usually a prompt lad was no where to be seen. Kataline informed me over the Vox that the boy had gone into the Port Wander and had dismissed his escort, who had just returned to the Anvil.

After dressing down the wayward Arms-woman, I learned that Rojer had gone to a seedy bar called the Hull Breach or the Bulkhead or some such thing. Ignatio was unworried, thinking the lad was lonely and going to have his deck swabbed but I knew better. I’d not be surprised to find my son in a House of Ill-Repute but it’d damn well be a respectable House of Ill-Repute. The boy’s a Khal after all, he can afford damn near any fetish his loins desire. No this smacked of a young lord trying to impress his father. I should know, I tried often enough with mine. I immediately issued orders to the command crew to track the boy to this bar. Ignatio wisely pointed out that we’d make a bit of a scene, so we sent Kalm ahead to scout the location. He/she/it reported drunken Kroot Mercs, but no Rojer. Damn the boy! Where was he! After some Kroot negotiations, Kalm returned for some money with which to enlist the Kroot to our cause. Secrecy be damned at this point we began to follow Him/Her/It to the bar.

The Kroot was honking something when Ignatio cried out and hauled a squirming ruffian into the air. The boy thought to steal my first officer’s bolter. He’d have had better luck going for Jaks Eye. Upon examining the boy’s wrist, we discovered something that made my blood run cold. A crudely drawn copy of a marking I was painfully familiar with from my father’s intelligence briefings. The Cabal of the Chain! Would they never leave my family in peace!? I knew intellectually that they must still be out there somewhere, but my joy at the resurrection of my dynasty blinded me to the possibility that they might still be a threat. Rojer’s disappearance suddenly took on ominous tones. We confirmed with the Barkeep that Rojer had left with Chainers and the boy told us of their hide out, he apparently has some sort of fascination with the gang or more likely with the power they represent. Jak paid the barkeep to look after the lad while we hurried after Rojer. How could he have not known about the Cabal? Surely we briefed him? Ignatio will see to it once we’re safe back aboard the Hammer, I’ll make sure of that.

We didn’t get more than a few feet when Rojer’s voice came across the micro-bead. He said he was tracking the drug that the Physician had used to kill himself and that he had a meet with the dealer. Before I could tell him in no uncertain terms to get his acned ass back aboard the Anvil another voice took the wind from my chest. The Cabal had my son, my heir and they would return him for a 100,000 thrones. The very idea was laughable. They had to know who I was. Do they have such a low estimation of my intelligence to think I’d not recognize the trap for what it was? Once my boy was safe I intended to make an example of these dogs.

Kalm suggested he take the boy and infiltrate the Cabal’s hide out as that was the likeliest place to hold Rojer, while the rest of us make a distraction at the meet. Distractions I can do. Between Ignatio, Jaks and myself we planned to fill the market with crewmen and send an anonymous tip to the Arbites about a drug deal, in the hopes that the confusion of a raid would give us the advantage.

When the stated time arrived, our distraction worked perfectly but the Cabal had already prepared for our plans. They lead me by vox to an apartment complex far from the initial meeting place. A woman waited for me, presumably to make the exchange, but the sniper they had planted was a failure at his job. I dodged the round with ease and turned the girls head into a bowling ball with my powerfist. At this point Jaks and Ignatio caught up to my position and we set out to make the sniper very sorry his parents didn’t die in an Exterminatus.

The fabulous auspex in my Powerfist identified the bastard’s weapon with ease and Jaks and I cornered him before he knew just how outclassed he was. He talked, revealing the Pirate Queen Bodica wanted my son and I alive, before Ignatio smeared his brains all over my power armor. He could have let me drop the fool first. Bloody impatient man. He is so cleaning my Armor when we get back to the ship.

As we hurried to Kalm’s location, I rallied all our men and Kroot in the area and converged on the Cabal’s base. The attack was almost over by the time I arrived as most of the Chainers were quickly dispatched by my enraged crew. Apparently they’re fond of their dynasty’s heir. I sometimes am stuck with the loyalty my family can inspire. It’s touching really, to know that your men will gleefully rip to shreds any who offend your honor. I shall have to give the lads an extra ration of rotgut once we’re under way in gratitude. We chased the architect of this insult to a shuttle airlock the Cabal used to smuggle slaves, but could not stop the shuttle from leaving. Thankfully the two other shuttles I’d stationed outside the airlock could. When Kataline returned the now heartless (literally) body of the Eldar, with a look of supreme satisfaction. Hell, even the Kroot looked happy, but it’s hard to tell.

We found Rojer in one of the Cryo-tubes, safe and sound if a little frosted. I’ve ordered Ignatio to brief him on everything we know about the Chainers once the boy comes to and he’s finished with my armor. We added the captured Eldar shuttle to our hanger and Jak and Ignatio has some shiny new toys to play with. So despite the ass clinching terror of nearly losing the future of my house…again, things have turned out well. Ah, it seems my dinner has arrived.